Visitor Center Report

Mt.Midoridake snow report

Prefectural road Kougen onsen lone opened on June 10th.
We can walk to Mt. Midoridake now.
But most trail courses are under the snow.
Today( June 16th) from Daiichi hanabatake to Eiko stream cliff all trail is under snow.
It is white snow field without no flag.
Preparing for bad weather like deep foggy, you must bring GPS, smart phone with map application.
You must have gears to know where you are.

Around Eiko stream cliff there is a big hole between ground and snow as shown in the picture.
When you cross here, be careful not fall over.
Particularly when you go down, walk carefully please.
Many flowers start blooming around rock slope to ridge.

” Aegithalos caudatus”
They live in the park where many tree grows to pass the winter.
After passing the winter they breed same place in the beginning of spring.
From April to June they lay an egg, and protect eggs in their nest for half months.
We can meet a baby in April at the earliest.
But we could find fledged chicks in the deep forest.
Fortunately we found a just fledged chick.
We found about 10 chicks.
Look at this picture, they bend their body.
It looks like drying their far heading the sun.
After fledged, they live with some family group.

June 13th Mt.Kurodake snow report
(I fell over a little around the top of Mt.Kurodake.
I am used to walk on snow, but I was careless and ended up causing a big problem.
So I missed my camera. I didn’t take pictures.)

Much snow still remains on the trail to Mt.Kurodake.
We can find 9th and 8th sign poles.
Day by day snow is melting.
Around 9th station branches grows from snow. There are many big deep holes under the snow. When stepping on snow, be careful! You may fall into a hole.
And more around just below the summit you might slip over.
Please be careful to walk preparing your climbing gear.
We don’t recommend a people who are not used to walk on snow.
It depends on weather, please bring crampons and an ice ax at least.
In this time “going up” is easy, but “going down” is too hard.
If you feel anxious to walk, please have courage to turn back.

We could meet very cute baby foxes again this year.

We found 5 foxes.
But we could take a picture the most adventurous of them
Their parents are very busy to find foods.
5 baby foxes are playing around forest road.
When you drive to trail head, please drive slow and safety.

“Tamias sibiricus lineatus” starts activity.

A long long winter was finished, wild animals start to prepare for new born babies.
“Tamias sibiricus lineatus” filled moss with his mouth, and carried his nest again and again.
I image he will make a fluffy bed.

Mt.Kurodake snow report

Our visitor center is temporarily closed under declaration of a state of emergency.
(We will open Jun 21th)
But we keep on managing phone call and collecting information of mountains as usual.
And also Kurodake ropeway is on business committing to avoid infection risk.

Many people call us about the trail of Mt.Kurodake.
Finally in Hokkaido summer has come.
Sometimes Temperature at the plain area is over 25°c (we call “summer days”).
Here in Sounkyo onsen( elevation is 650m), tree is just getting fresh green.
But around 5th station of Mt.Kurodake (elevation is 1300m), Cherry blossom started blooming.
And more on the top of mountains is still winter,
Getting off the chair lift at 7th station, passing trail head office, we have to walk on snow.
In some place you can walk on the trail, but mostly you walk on snow to the summit.

It is like walking ski slope.
It is very steep slope for middle class ski course.
Over the 9th station you have to walk on adbanced ski course.
Some place is like ski jumping platform.
Today temperature was high, so I wore hiking shoes with pickel.
Snow was harder than I thought.
I wished I brought crampons.
If snow was more harder, I stopped going up.
When I went up. I saw a skier slipped over for dozens of meters.

Going down is more dangerous than going up.
Going down from the summit many people lose their body balance, and slip over and hurt every year.
If you are not used to go up on the snow, please wait until snow has gone.

*Kurodake Ishimuro hut will open Jun 21th.
If you need detail, please ask Kurodake ropeway.